Rural Data on the Move: Turning EMS Information Into Action at the Point of Care

AHA Leadership Scan: A Series of Virtual Panel Discussions

Rural Data on the Move: Turning EMS Information Into Action at the Point of Care

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 
1 - 2 p.m. Eastern; noon - 1 p.m. Central; 10 - 11 a.m. Pacific  

In rural communities, EMS is often the first—and sometimes only—point of clinical contact. But critical patient information gathered in the field doesn’t always reach hospital teams in time to inform care. Delays in data exchange can limit a hospital’s ability to prepare for incoming patients, especially when staffing and resources are already stretched thin.

In this Leadership Scan, rural hospital and EMS leaders will explore how organizations are strengthening real-time data exchange to improve handoffs, support faster clinical decision-making and make the most of limited capacity. Panelists will share practical approaches to integrating EMS data into hospital workflows—from pre-arrival alerts and patient matching to post-encounter feedback loops—helping providers deliver more coordinated, efficient and informed care.

Panelists will discuss how their organizations are:

• Activating pre-arrival intelligence by routing EMS data directly into hospital workflows so clinical teams can prepare staff, space and resources before the patient arrives—turning field information into an operational advantage.
• Connecting EMS data to hospital systems at scale through realistic, resource-conscious interoperability approaches designed for rural organizations with limited IT infrastructure and smaller technical teams.
• Closing the loop with EMS partners by sharing patient outcomes and feedback after the encounter—strengthening relationships, improving field protocols and building a foundation for continuous improvement across the care continuum.

Attendees will gain actionable insights into what’s working today, where common barriers exist and how rural organizations can take realistic steps toward more connected, data-driven care delivery.

Attendees Will Learn

• Identify the pre-arrival information rural ED teams need most to prepare for high-acuity patients and understand how real-time EMS data can be structured to deliver it reliably.
• Explore how EMS data can help rural hospitals manage triage, coordinate transfers and stretch limited capacity—with practical examples from organizations navigating the same constraints.
• Assess scalable, low-burden interoperability approaches that rural hospitals with constrained IT resources can realistically implement to connect EMS and hospital data systems.
• Learn how hospitals can share outcomes back with EMS partners to close the feedback loop, improve field protocols and build a culture of continuous improvement across the rural care continuum.
• Consider the operational and cultural barriers that most commonly slow EMS–hospital data integration—and leave with concrete strategies to overcome them.

Session Panelists:

Joe Ferrell, MS, Paramedic 
Director, National Initiatives 
ImageTrend

Brooke Figg, BS, LP, NRP 
Sales Engineer 
ImageTrend 

By attending the AHA Leadership virtual panel discussion “Rural Data on the Move: Turning EMS Information Into Action at the Point of Care " offered by the AHA, participants may earn up to 1 ACHE Qualified Education Hour toward initial certification or recertification of the Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) designation.